There’s nothing better than spending a beautiful summer’s day on a riverbank or the shore of a lake relaxing in nature, and maybe even catching your supper while you’re at it. Here are a few of our favorite spots!

  1. Crystal Lake, Gilmanton

Wikimedia Commons/AerialPhotoNH Crystal Lake is stunningly beautiful, and absolutely full of fish—which is why locals love it for both summer fishing and for ice fishing in the winter. It’s a warm and cold-water fishery with both small and largemouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch, rainbow smelt, sunfish and more.

  1. Millsfield Pond, Errol

Facebook/Millsfield ATV Club Millsfield Pond is absolutely packed with trout, and best of all, it doesn’t get too crowded.

  1. Grafton Pond, Grafton

Wikimedia Commons/Ctheronj Grafton Pond doesn’t allow boats over 6 horsepower and it’s an active loon nesting site, so it’s incredibly peaceful. It’s also a great warmwater fishery, with smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, brown bullhead and yellow perch.

  1. Christine Lake, Stark

Wikimedia Commons/Timothy Lev Southeast of the Percy Peaks, this 197-acre lake is classified as a coldwater fishery home to brook trout, brown trout, and smallmouth bass.

  1. Balch Pond, Wakefield

Balch Pond/Ruthless Logic This pond straddles the New Hampshire-Maine border; a piece of the pond located in NH is also known as Stump Pond. It’s a warmwater fishery with species including largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, yellow perch and more. Most access is private, but you can fish from Dick’s Marina for a $5 fee.

  1. Heads Pond, Hooksett

AllTrails/Jesse Roussell This lovely pond is home to largemouth bass, chain pickerel, bluegill and golden shiner. It also has some great hiking trails around it.

  1. Bow Lake, Strafford

Flickr/Stephanie Rogers The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department manages the rainbow and brown trout populations in Bow Lake, so you can be sure that if you head here in the spring you’ll find plenty of fish.

  1. Baker River, Rumney

Flickr/Robbie Shade There is a large fish hatchery along the Baker River and the slow-moving river has plenty of trout and even salmon.

  1. Silver Lake, Madison

Flickr/Stephen Dettling Silver Lake is an excellent spot for smallmouth bass, as well as lake trout, yellow perch and chain pickerel.

What’s your favorite place to fish in New Hampshire? Tell us in the comments!

Wikimedia Commons/AerialPhotoNH

Crystal Lake is stunningly beautiful, and absolutely full of fish—which is why locals love it for both summer fishing and for ice fishing in the winter. It’s a warm and cold-water fishery with both small and largemouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch, rainbow smelt, sunfish and more.

Facebook/Millsfield ATV Club

Millsfield Pond is absolutely packed with trout, and best of all, it doesn’t get too crowded.

Wikimedia Commons/Ctheronj

Grafton Pond doesn’t allow boats over 6 horsepower and it’s an active loon nesting site, so it’s incredibly peaceful. It’s also a great warmwater fishery, with smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, brown bullhead and yellow perch.

Wikimedia Commons/Timothy Lev

Southeast of the Percy Peaks, this 197-acre lake is classified as a coldwater fishery home to brook trout, brown trout, and smallmouth bass.

Balch Pond/Ruthless Logic

This pond straddles the New Hampshire-Maine border; a piece of the pond located in NH is also known as Stump Pond. It’s a warmwater fishery with species including largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, yellow perch and more. Most access is private, but you can fish from Dick’s Marina for a $5 fee.

AllTrails/Jesse Roussell

This lovely pond is home to largemouth bass, chain pickerel, bluegill and golden shiner. It also has some great hiking trails around it.

Flickr/Stephanie Rogers

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department manages the rainbow and brown trout populations in Bow Lake, so you can be sure that if you head here in the spring you’ll find plenty of fish.

Flickr/Robbie Shade

There is a large fish hatchery along the Baker River and the slow-moving river has plenty of trout and even salmon.

Flickr/Stephen Dettling

Silver Lake is an excellent spot for smallmouth bass, as well as lake trout, yellow perch and chain pickerel.

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